Gables Receives Funding From State Budget
Despite a difficult year marked by the reduction of $6 billion in the state’s budget, the City of Coral Gables fared well and will receive $1.25 million dollars from Tallahassee. As part of the $66 billion budget recently signed by Florida Governor Charlie Crist, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will provide the City with $250,000 for improvements to Sanitary Sewer Pump Station 2. This major underground section serves nearly all the commercial and residential districts within the business center corridor bounded by the north City limits, LeJeune Road, Anastasia Avenue and Douglas Road. Construction cost is estimated to be more than $1 million with the state sharing the cost for the needed improvements.
The state has also allocated a matching share of $500,000 for the City’s Sanitary Sewer Pump Station 3. This station service area includes mostly residential districts bounded around Mendoza Avenue, LeJeune Road, Anastasia Avenue and Cordova Street. Both sewer stations are in need of complete rehabilitation, requiring new pumps and controls as well as modifications to major mechanical, electrical, and structural components.
Finally, the City will also receive $500,000 for the construction of the third of five phases to improve the 50-year Old Cutler Road Sanitary Sewer Force Main. This funding will replace at least another 2,700 feet of existing force main. At the present time, the City has replaced or is in the process of replacing some 5,400 lineal feet of 16-inch diameter sanitary sewer along Old Cutler Road. The force main is the sole pressured line that provides service to all Coral Gables residents served by sanitary sewers south of Arvida Parkway. During the Florida Legislative session in April, City Manager David L. Brown and Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick traveled to Tallahassee, along with City lobbyist Fausto Gomez, of Gomez Barker Associates, Inc. to meet with legislators and push for these funding allocations.
This past weekend, the City of Coral Gables was among the group of municipalities from across the nation awarded for improving the quality of life for its residents. Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick received the Honorable Mention City Livability award for cities smaller than a 100,000 population at the U.S. Conference of Mayors annual meeting held in Miami. Coral Gables was recognized for the Historic Designation of Our Neighborhoods Program, which allows properties that are at least 50 years old and have architectural, aesthetic or historic value to be designated as historic landmarks. Ten cities from across the nation were recognized for innovative programs including Orlando, Tampa and Coral Gables from Florida. The City Livability Awards are sponsored by Waste Management, Inc. and The U.S. Conference of Mayors.
The City Commission approved a request from the Florida Department of Transportation to conduct public information meetings and begin the process of constructing a new sidewalk on the north side of Bird Road, between S.W. 57th Avenue and Riviera Drive. The new construction will comply with ADA requirements and provide a continuous sidewalk through this corridor. Plans include a new pedestrian bridge that will transverse the canal between Granada Boulevard and University Drive. FDOT representatives assured City officials that construction will be done during non-peak traffic hours and without encroaching on property lines. The Florida Department of Transportation will report back to the City regarding the final plan prior to its implementation.
In 2006, City officials approved a new noise ordinance that regulates loud and annoying sounds, including construction noise. Construction noise that disturbs the peace of the neighborhood is prohibited between the hours of 6 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. from Monday through Thursday, from 6 p.m. on Fridays to 9 a.m. on Saturdays; from 5 p.m. on Saturdays to 7:30 a.m. on Mondays, and on holidays. The use of commercial maintenance equipment which creates loud noises is also restricted during those hours and within 100 feet of any residential area. Any person in violation of the new ordinance may be assessed a fine no less than $150 per violation, per day. To report a noise ordinance violation, contact Coral Gables Code Enforcement at 305-460-5226.
Miami-Dade’s Metropolitan Planning Organization is inviting Coral Gables residents to participate in upcoming public meetings to kick off the development of the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The LRTP is being developed to guide federal, state, and local transportation funding allocations through the Year 2035. This comprehensive plan will consist of highway, transit, bicycle, pedestrian and other types of improvements for maximizing local and regional mobility for people and goods. A plan overview, a survey of citizen’s opinion and a discussion of future traffic conditions will take place. A public meeting is scheduled at Coral Gables Library, 3443 Segovia Street, on Thursday, June 26. Upcoming meetings will also be held on July 17 at West Dade Regional Library, 9445 Coral Way and South Dade Regional Library at 10750 S.W. 211 Street. All meetings will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. For additional information, call 305-375-4507.
Congratulations to the creative minds of Coral Gables Television for winning two bronze Telly Awards this year. The Telly is the largest and most prestigious award of its kind, receiving 14,000 entries every year from all 50 states and 30 countries around the world. Coral Gables Television won for its original production of “Historic Homes of Coral Gables,” and “Our Gables: About Trash and Recycling.” The “Historic Homes” show takes a glimpse of the intricate renovation work of private homes around the Gables, while the show “Our Gables” is a behind-the-scenes look of what workers in the City of Coral Gables do every day to collect and recycle trash. Comcast subscribers can watch Coral Gables Television on Channel 77 and on Channel 97 for Adelphia customers. For more information, contact the Office of Public Affairs at 305-460-5205.
To accommodate the summer schedule, the following are the confirmed dates for upcoming Commission Chamber meetings: Thursday, June 26; Tuesday, July 15 and Tuesday, August 26. All meetings begin at 9 a.m. and agendas can be viewed on line by clicking here.
The City of Coral Gables is encouraging the use of the popular compact fluorescent lamps, or CFL, which are now available in a variety of sizes and lighting qualities. CFLs are small fluorescent light bulbs that are energy-efficient and fit into a regular light socket. These lamps use 75 percent less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and lasts up to 10 times longer. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star qualified CFL, it would save enough energy to light more than three million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than 800,000 cars.
If you want to be a part of more award-winning television shows, Coral Gables Television is looking for more homeowners who would like to be part of the next “Historic Homes of Coral Gables” show. If you’re are a proud owner of a local historic home in Coral Gables and want to showcase its beauty, send a note at e-news@coralgables.com. A television producer will be scheduling interviews and upcoming filming of additional historic properties in Coral Gables.